Students have given a theatre performance with a difference as the action unfolded throughout City of Bath College.
Instead of taking to a formal stage, the cast of Alice in Wonderland said their lines ‘on the go’ at various locations inside and outside the College.
The production was put on by English as Second Language students to help them improve their vocabulary and pronunciation of words.
They told the audience they were “going to have a fabulous time” before transporting them to a magical world with characters such as the White Rabbit, Cheshire cat and the Queen of Hearts.
The crowd of about 50 students and staff were keen to watch the popular children’ story as they remained on their feet and followed the cast around the College.
The ‘promenade theatre’ performance took in locations including the second floor of the Macaulay Building, the MAPA Theatre and an outside courtyard, before ending with a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.
Silvi Tamayo, who played Alice, said it had taken about a month of rehearsals to perfect their lines for the performance. The 24-year-old from Spain has been studying English at City of Bath College for three months.
Silvi said: “It’s been very good to practice my English, I really enjoyed taking part. It’s really helped with learning how to say different words, we’ve had to speak all the time and say words we wouldn’t normally use.”
Lecturer Carolyn Csonka, who wrote and directed the play, said all the hard work had been worthwhile as they had “ended the term with a bang.”
She said: “It’s been a massive confidence boost for students; they not only improve their language skills but also grow as individuals.
“They are all from different countries and speak different languages, but they have all made friends. It’s been very rewarding and satisfying for them to be part of this performance; they have had a lot of fun.”
Eight students had starring roles in the production; Caterina Piatti was White Rabbit, Silvi Tamayo Moreno was Alice, Ana Barcos Aramburu was Dormouse, Sara Rodriguez Alvarez was Cheshire Cat, Victor Manuel Cremades Sanz was March Hare, Fabrizo Grossi was Mad Hatter, Olga Pascual was Queen of Hearts, and Roberto Merelo was Knave of Hearts.
The narrator was Lecturer Nia Hughes and the costumes were made by students Isabel De la Brena and Paloma Nino Rey.
